Following the pre-decision conference on 1 March 2006, the ACCC gave interested parties until 15 March 2006 to lodge further submissions in respect of the ACCC's draft determination on the application for authorisation of joint marketing of PNG gas (Application no. A40081).

The ACCC has received advice (copy attached) that AGL Gas Developments (PNG) Pty Limited (AGL) has become a participant in the PNG Gas Project (the Project). AGL will have a ten per cent interest in the Project. Accordingly, the parties to the application for authorisation have amended their application to include AGL as an applicant. The parties have also requested that the ACCC amend the interim authorisation approved on 13 October 2000 to include AGL as a party to that interim authorisation.

Interested parties are invited to comment on the amendment to the application for authorisation to include AGL. These comments should be included in submissions which are due by 15 March 2006.

It is worth noting that in the draft determination the ACCC proposed to allow future participants to be covered by the authorisaition provided certain criteria were met (Page 72 of the draft determination). The ACCC noted that under current circumstances this would include AGL and Santos (if authorisation is granted as proposed in the draft determination).